The Volkswagen T-Roc facelift might not be entirely worth it
The T-Roc is a car that has captured my heart ever since it launched in SA. Last year, I tested both the pre-facelift 1.4l and 2.0l models, and to my surprise, the 1.4l made more sense, as it was cheaper and significantly more fuel economic than its 2.0l R-Line sibling. The facelift came by this year, and I have already expressed that this car is a hit and a miss, but this facelift might have made it drop more spots on the leaderboard.
The good
The T-Roc is powered by a 1.4l TSI plant that produces 110Kw/250Nm. This engine is quite responsive and surprisingly quick, and works well in carrying the body of the car on highway and city driving. The performance on this car is really commendable, it is a surprisingly exciting drive as one would not expect this from such a vehicle. Fuel economy was also fantastic, I did about 6-6.4l/100km and did over 400km on one tank. This car is aimed at small families and people who want something distinct and unique, as you can see with its unorthodox styling and quirky looks, which makes it an outlier that blends in well. I like everything about the facelift, from the IQ Lights, the round large fog/indicator lights and this Ascot Grey color, paired with the black roof. It is a beautiful vehicle. A nice touch is the panoramic sunroof, which I think is a need on this car.
Lackluster interior
On the interior I was quite, disappointed. The new fascia is nice, but bland and uninviting. The graphics the infotainment system were quite pixelated, and for a car north of R500k, that cannot be good. There was some glitching I experienced in this unit with regards to the infotainment system, it would connect, then randomly disconnect, or cut the whole sound and play music through my phone, whilst connected to the vehicle, which did frustrate me. The controls for the aircon are all touch haptic, which I did not like much. I am glad they retained conventional buttons on the steering wheel but the feeling of the interior was not enticing. I did like the comfort levels, ergonomics, okay plastics and decent sound system but overall, I was expecting major improvements to this vehicle. If they took the new exterior and kept the outgoing interior, it would probably be a winner. The boot space is impressive, managed to throw a lot of things in there.
Verdict
The pricing starts from R563 800, and that’s a whole lot of money for a brand new car. Add some extras, you are looking at R600k+. I can attest that it is pricey, and I am not sure if it is worth it but, I still maintain, a T-Roc is definitely a car you buy because you want it and it is something different. At that price point, there are other cars one can look at, I mean, you can get a base spec Kia Sportage for R539 995, and that vehicle aims to rival the Tiguan, even. I still love the T-Roc, it is a well-rounded package but for that price and the interior, I am not too sold on this facelift. Personally, I would shop around for a used pre-facelift model, and even go for the 2.0l R-Line trim. Ultimately, the T-Roc is an okay car, I would recommend it but, explore your options before making the decision, there are slightly better cars out there.
